NBC picks up Law & Order: LA + ‘SVU’ returning for 12th season and original L&O looks likely for record 21st season

Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC has picked up Law & Order: Los Angeles for a 13-episode order to debut this fall. Deadline also reports that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been cleared for a 12th season — “pending some minor budgetary matters” — and the original Law & Order series looks likely to be picked up for a record 21st season, although with help from off-network home TNT:

…the series’ cable home TNT expected to pitch in with an off-network fee to offset the cost of bringing the show back. Not returning for the record 21st season is veteran cast member S. Epatha Merkerson who recently asked the series’ producers to be released. (She didn’t have a deal beyond Season 20.)

With Law & Order: Criminal Intent airing on USA Network, producer Dick Wolf will have four of his series on the air at the same time. The last time he had 4 ‘L&O’ series on at the same time was in 2005, which saw the debut of the short-running series Law & Order: Trial by Jury.